Did you know that state law requires the Arkansas Lottery to help collect unpaid taxes and child support?
The lottery issued a release noting it has collected $1 million in such debts in its five years of existence, along with $500 million for college scholarships.
The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery Act of 2009 requires the Lottery to “cooperate in identifying debtors who owe money to the state”, specifically prize winners with unpaid state taxes or child support payments. Since awarding its first prize on September 28, 2009, up to July 31, 2014, the Lottery has collected $688,243.84 in unpaid taxes, subsequently transferred to the Department of Finance and Administration. In the same period, $296,382.22 was collected and transferred to the Office of Child Support Enforcement. Arkansas Scholarship Lottery Director Bishop Woosley expects the Lottery will easily surpass $1 million in total recouped funds by 2015.